DEAR News Of The Area,

EMINENT scientists have estimated $25 billion of Australian coastal property is under threat from erosion caused by climate change fueled storm surges and they are advocating a staged retreat from development in coastal hazard zones.

Professor David Kennedy has been quoted saying that Australians will need to get over their love affair for beach living and stop putting more and more stuff in current (known?) hazard zones.

These warnings seem to have fallen upon deaf ears as councils and state governments are continuing to implement the unsustainable policies that have brought us to this crisis point.

Hazard zone mapping in the Coffs City LGA is readily available on the council’s own website, yet we still have developments planned within these hazard zones.

There are at least three examples of this type of ill-advised development happening locally.

The Jetty Foreshores, Hearns Lake and the upgrade of the Emerald Beach Reserve.

Even without considering the private investment, millions of dollars of public money is going into infrastructure that is being built in harm’s way.

Not only that, but it is making the problem worse for neighbouring communities.

Last year was the hottest year on record and extreme weather events are now becoming far more common and severe.

Emeritus Professor Leslie Hughes of the intergovernmental panel on climate change is warning that sea levels will continue to rise and at a rate greater than predicted.

Rising sea levels affect how our rivers behave and this extends to our drainage infrastructure.

These natural and man-made features become arteries for the destructive power of storm surges.

Large hard surfaces such as roads and carparks allow water to travel faster and further thereby causing more damage.

These same structures create hotter microclimates and by encouraging the use of motor vehicles they make the situation worse.

Don’t think that because you don’t live in or near a hazard zone these problems won’t affect you.

Because the insurance industry spreads its risk across the whole community and risk is underwritten internationally, more frequent and costlier disasters means that everyone pays higher premiums to cover the cost of pay-outs.

The end result of this is premium increases and exclusions that make insurance increasingly unaffordable.

As more people choose not to have insurance, the pool of money shrinks making premiums rise even higher. This is happening right now.

Who picks up the cost of repairing the inevitable damage to infrastructure?

Will it be the developer who has made his profit and moved on long ago or will it be the councillors and politicians who facilitated these inappropriate developments for their short-term gain?
No, it will be future ratepayers and taxpayers.

The short-term benefit for a few will be paid for through never-ending rate hikes and spiraling insurance premiums for everyone.

Consider these things when thinking about the cost of living into the future.

Nothing will be done to address this problem while we have people designing our future using yesterday’s thinking and ignoring the science.

Regards,
Helen OLIVER,
Coffs Harbour.